News Release: SUNY Poly to Host Two Drone Soccer Championships

CNY Drones Spearheads Major U.S. Drone Soccer Team Events in March and April 2023

UTICA, NY – CNY Drones and SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s (SUNY Poly) Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) Student Club are pleased to announce two major U.S. Drone Soccer team events for students ages 12 to 18 years old. The U.S. Drone Soccer Region II New York Championship will be held on Sunday, March 26, 2023, in the SUNY Poly Wildcat Field House. Eight teams from around New York State will battle for the Region II Trophy and a spot in the U.S. Drone Soccer National Championship. The event will simultaneously feature a “Shadow Workshop” for educators and their growing teams to learn drone soccer basics. “Our goal is to have an annual event that draws student and educator interest from all over New York State to the SUNY Poly Campus,” according to Bob Payne, CNY Drones Volunteer Coordinator and SUNY Poly AMA Club Advisor. “It’s not that hard to do when we get the right groups working together. We’re coordinating statewide support of a fresh idea in STEM that’s growing by leaps and bounds because it teaches valuable, transferrable skills.”

The second event, the U.S. Drone Soccer National Championship which is scheduled to take place April 16, 2023, will invite student teams from Alabama, California, Colorado, Delaware, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah to the SUNY Poly campus. Winners from the National Event will be invited to May’s World Championship, scheduled as part of AUVSI XPONENTIAL, taking place in Denver, Colorado.

Drone Soccer was brought to the United States three years ago by Colorado-based company, Drone Sports, Inc., later introducing the sport nationally in late 2021. Aligned with the Academy of Model Aeronautics, U.S. Drone Soccer offers a STEM-based build program with a competitive sports model. CNY Drones set out to establish Drone Soccer with funding, technical expertise, and logistical support from the Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate in Rome, NY, and in cooperation with SUNY Poly’s AMA Club. Combined efforts created a regional technical support hub in the Mohawk Valley responsible for assisting educators and students through the process of getting started and offering advice on independent league activities throughout the State.

Each month, SUNY AMA and CNY Drones welcome college students to join in their Tech Meets both in-person and virtually at the Robotics Lab within SUNY Poly’s Donovan Hall. The Baja Club, Wildcat Robotics, and students working on capstone projects have kept the lab buzzing and assisted educators who are just beginning to learn about Drone Soccer.

STEM-forward sponsors are welcome to help cover the costs of technical support equipment and volunteer supplies used for CNY Drones for the Championships and their many other demonstrations and outreach events. CNY Drones operates through a volunteer Planning Committee and Administrators under the 501(c)(3) of the Griffiss Institute. Technical support is covered through a small stipend received through regional U.S. Drone Soccer purchases. CNY Drones sponsorship networks companies with potential future employees, and their influencer parents, and educators.

Drone Soccer growth plans center around connecting schools and community groups to establish interconnected regional leagues that can feed teams into regional, national, and international championships. Schools and organizations are sought to champion feeder activities, including local competitions, camps, and workshops. A recent BOCES cooperative services agreement, known as a “CoSer,” has made it possible for public schools around the state to become involved in drone soccer at a low cost.

U.S. Drone Soccer is on the cutting-edge of STEM, leading students through building, repair, coding, and flying strategy with a team sports platform. Safety knowledge and build skills are transferable to higher education and future employment. Drone soccer is easy to set up in safety-oriented, indoor, enclosed arenas. Teams provide technical students an opportunity to join an action-packed sport and traditional sports teams offer an option to use Drone Soccer as an off-season teambuilding activity.

For more information on registration U.S. Drone Soccer in New York, visit: https://cnydrones.org.